Verse 18:38 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

34 وَكَانَ لَهُۥ ثَمَرࣱ فَقَالَ لِصَـٰحِبِهِۦ وَهُوَ یُحَاوِرُهُۥۤ أَنَا۠ أَكۡثَرُ مِنكَ مَالࣰا وَأَعَزُّ نَفَرࣰا ۝٣٤ wakāna lahu thamarun faqāla liṣāḥibihi wahuwa yuḥāwiruhu anā aktharu minka mālan wa-aʿazzu nafara and so he had abundant fruit. One day, while talking to his friend, he said, ‘I have more wealth and a larger following than you.’ 35 وَدَخَلَ جَنَّتَهُۥ وَهُوَ ظَالِمࣱ لِّنَفۡسِهِۦ قَالَ مَاۤ أَظُنُّ أَن تَبِیدَ هَـٰذِهِۦۤ أَبَدࣰا ۝٣٥ wadakhala jannatahu wahuwa ẓālimun linafsihi qāla mā aẓunnu an tabīda hādhihi abada He went into his garden and wronged himself by saying, ‘I do not think this will ever perish 36 وَمَاۤ أَظُنُّ ٱلسَّاعَةَ قَاۤىِٕمَةࣰ وَلَىِٕن رُّدِدتُّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّی لَأَجِدَنَّ خَیۡرࣰا مِّنۡهَا مُنقَلَبࣰا ۝٣٦ wamā aẓunnu l-sāʿata qāimatan wala-in rudidttu ilā rabbī la-ajidanna khayran min'hā munqalaba or that the Last Hour will ever come- even if I were to be taken back to my Lord, I would certainly find something even better there.’ 37 قَالَ لَهُۥ صَاحِبُهُۥ وَهُوَ یُحَاوِرُهُۥۤ أَكَفَرۡتَ بِٱلَّذِی خَلَقَكَ مِن تُرَابࣲ ثُمَّ مِن نُّطۡفَةࣲ ثُمَّ سَوَّىٰكَ رَجُلࣰا ۝٣٧ qāla lahu ṣāḥibuhu wahuwa yuḥāwiruhu akafarta bi-alladhī khalaqaka min turābin thumma min nuṭ'fatin thumma sawwāka rajula His companion retorted, ‘Have you no faith in Him who created you from dust, from a small drop of fluid, then shaped you into a man

38 لَّـٰكِنَّا۠ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ رَبِّی وَلَاۤ أُشۡرِكُ بِرَبِّیۤ أَحَدࣰا ۝٣٨ lākinnā huwa l-lahu rabbī walā ush'riku birabbī aḥada But, for me, He is God, my Lord, and I will never set up any partner with Him

39 وَلَوۡلَاۤ إِذۡ دَخَلۡتَ جَنَّتَكَ قُلۡتَ مَا شَاۤءَ ٱللَّهُ لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِٱللَّهِۚ إِن تَرَنِ أَنَا۠ أَقَلَّ مِنكَ مَالࣰا وَوَلَدࣰا ۝٣٩ walawlā idh dakhalta jannataka qul'ta mā shāa l-lahu lā quwwata illā bil-lahi in tarani anā aqalla minka mālan wawalada If only, when you entered your garden, you had said, “This is God’s will. There is no power not [given] by God.” Although you see I have less wealth and offspring than you 40 فَعَسَىٰ رَبِّیۤ أَن یُؤۡتِیَنِ خَیۡرࣰا مِّن جَنَّتِكَ وَیُرۡسِلَ عَلَیۡهَا حُسۡبَانࣰا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَاۤءِ فَتُصۡبِحَ صَعِیدࣰا زَلَقًا ۝٤٠ faʿasā rabbī an yu'tiyani khayran min jannatika wayur'sila ʿalayhā ḥus'bānan mina l-samāi fatuṣ'biḥa ṣaʿīdan zalaqa my Lord may well give me something better than your garden, and send thunderbolts on your garden from the sky, so that it becomes a heap of barren dust 41 أَوۡ یُصۡبِحَ مَاۤؤُهَا غَوۡرࣰا فَلَن تَسۡتَطِیعَ لَهُۥ طَلَبࣰا ۝٤١ aw yuṣ'biḥa māuhā ghawran falan tastaṭīʿa lahu ṭalaba or its water may sink so deep into the ground that you will never be able to reach it again.’ 42 وَأُحِیطَ بِثَمَرِهِۦ فَأَصۡبَحَ یُقَلِّبُ كَفَّیۡهِ عَلَىٰ مَاۤ أَنفَقَ فِیهَا وَهِیَ خَاوِیَةٌ عَلَىٰ عُرُوشِهَا وَیَقُولُ یَـٰلَیۡتَنِی لَمۡ أُشۡرِكۡ بِرَبِّیۤ أَحَدࣰا ۝٤٢ wa-uḥīṭa bithamarihi fa-aṣbaḥa yuqallibu kaffayhi ʿalā mā anfaqa fīhā wahiya khāwiyatun ʿalā ʿurūshihā wayaqūlu yālaytanī lam ush'rik birabbī aḥada And so it was: his fruit was completely destroyed, and there he was, wringing his hands over what he had invested in it, as it drooped on its trellises, and saying, ‘I wish I had not set up any partner to my Lord.’